Posted: 28 November 2025
Planet Innovation (PI) has been selected as a core technology partner in a USD$25.1 million international consortium formed to develop a rapid, point-of-care sequencing test for respiratory pathogens. Led by Ginkgo Bioworks, the group brings together Jumpcode Genomics, BugSeq and TGen – Part of City of Hope, in collaboration with the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), to deliver the Rapid Next-Generation Sequencing for Effective Medical Response (RANGER) initiative.
“Planet Innovation is proud to be a part of the RANGER consortium and will leverage its large product development and manufacturing capabilities in developing the highly innovative Cipher system,” CEO Stuart Elliott says. He notes that PI has extensive experience in building advanced diagnostic platforms and looks forward to supporting a solution that improves patient outcomes and strengthens frontline readiness for seasonal and emerging threats.
Under the collaboration, Ginkgo and its partners are eligible to receive up to €24 million over four years through the EU4Health programme, aligned with the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority’s (HERA) priorities. The RANGER programme is designed to deliver a metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) device capable of identifying virtually any respiratory pathogen within six hours, giving hospitals greater flexibility to triage patients and reduce prolonged isolation and empirical treatments.
The device is being developed in three phases, beginning with integration of technologies from all consortium members into a benchtop platform, followed by clinical evaluation across hospitals in Belgium, Sweden and Estonia. Final regulatory certification is intended to be pursued in partnership with the QbD Group.
European leaders describe the initiative as a critical step in strengthening preparedness for cross-border health threats and enabling “agnostic diagnostics” capable of detecting known and novel pathogens. Consortium partners emphasise the potential for the technology to modernise infection control, accelerate bedside decision-making and support a more resilient healthcare response across the EU.
